“We listened
to our stakeholders and the public who asked us to focus our efforts
on research to ensure that we’re using sound science in reaching
our decisions,” said Secretary Norton. “These new funds
will complement the ongoing manatee research underway in Florida and
also provide an opportunity to expand our efforts into important new
areas.”

The new funding
will go to a variety of research institutions with expertise in marine
mammals and support critical manatee research activities identified
as the highest priorities by the Service and the State of Florida.

“I am pleased
to see the release of these research dollars,” said Governor Jeb
Bush. “It is critical that manatee protection be based on the
best available science and this will complement and accelerate the ongoing
research we are conducting in the state.”

Specifically, these
activities include:

New
and redirected funding to improve the methods and reliability of manatee
population surveys and help wildlife managers better estimate manatee
survival and reproductive rates. Funds will be dedicated to enhance
photo-identification methods and increase understanding of population
dynamics, especially in southwest Florida.

New
and redirected funding to modify and refine the manatee population
modeling already underway at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Sirenia
Laboratory in Gainesville, Florida. This modeling effort will assist
managers in predicting the effects of various management decisions
on manatee populations.

New
and redirected funding to develop a statistically-valid, aerial survey
program to assess manatee distribution and abundance throughout the
State;

Redirected
funding to evaluate the effectiveness of existing manatee conservation
strategies, particularly speed zones in Florida, and to measure their
impacts on manatee conservation and recovery.

The data collected
from these research activities will be important in assisting wildlife
managers at the Federal, state and local level in developing policies
that address manatee conservation and recovery.

Over the past few
years the protection of manatees has become one of the most challenging
natural resource issues facing wildlife managers today. Conservation
measures implemented over the last few decades, combined with enhanced
public awareness, have resulted in an overall increase in the numbers
of manatees in Florida compared to 20 years ago. At the same time, development
pressure and population growth along Florida’s coastline have
increased the number of watercraft operating in the State. As a result,
the potential threats to manatees remain high and the need for well-informed,
timely decision-making, which is grounded in sound science, is increasingly
important.

The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving,
protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats
for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages
the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses
more than 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands
and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish
hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field
stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds
of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment
to state fish and wildlife agencies.